Garment connecter



Sept. 13,. 1932. s r 1,877,677

GARMENT CONNECTER Filed June 4, 1932 174922 Manasfei."

.HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 13, 1932 i .',UN1IT E1D"STATES BEN 13. rmmisrnn, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 7 GARMENT commc'rnn Application filed J 11116.4,

for its principalobject the; provision ofan improved construction of this character .which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

Among the salient objects of this inven-.-

tioniistofprovide a connector ofthe character hereinafter set forth, which includes a 1o ..retractile structure-capableof being asso ciatedwithj hook or connecting elements of desire and aimtoprovide a connecter of'such 25,,a structure as Wl-ll accomplish, a result not.

heretofore accomplished by connecters for likelpurpioses, suchas, for-example, eliminatingan .undesirablepull on the garment.

It is common knowledge that in the use of 30., -connecters ofthis character-there is a distinct noticeable pulling I effect between the portions of the wearing apparel connected together by the coI nect'er.v Suchpulling effectsobviously' results'in discomfort to the wearer, andisaconstant reminder of the presenceof theconnecter. It. is the intent to; eliminate this undesirable pulling effect. To accomplish thiscapparently new result I provide a retractile element constructed'in 40; a mannersuch that the expansion or extension and retraction is evenly distributed over the entire area of the structure without. decreasing :the' durability and usefulness of the same-for the purposes intended' By this uniform distribution of extension or expansion and retraction the retractile structure extends or expands with the. slightest degreefof pulling exertion, and when re-' lieved from such pulling force uniformly retracts to its normal position. "This results My invention relates to certain novelimprovements ;1n= a garment connector, and has.

bination and. arrangement of parts ,to

,1932.. Serial No.- 615,400.,

in the, substantialabsence oithe usually m5. i

ticeable pulling effect between the portions of the wearing appareli.

A still further object-ofthe inventiion toi provide connecting elements .with the retrac tile structure .of such a structure which-will not tear or fiaw'that portion of the wearing. apparel to which they are connected such as results where springclamps with toothed edges are used. ,7 v

Another object of the invention is the 1509, vision of a garment connector which may be incorporated in a body of non-elastio struc ture, thereby dispensing with ,elasti c 'fabric which ina short tlme. loses its elasticity by 7 reason ofconstant expansion and retraction, i

and body perspiration. v M I p e Other objects will appear hereinafter. Thelinvention consists in the novel com- 1 hereinafter described and claimed.

Theinvention will be best understoodby reference to. the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred form of, construction and in which:

Fig. lis a perspective viewof the men! tion showing the same in applied position;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view'of the same, showing the invention in a? position to be placed in applied position; j Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the inven'- tion illustrated in Fig.2; I q

Fig. 4 is japerspecti-ve view of the invention 7 illustrating a slightly' modified form overthat shown in Fig.3; p 1 5 Fig. 5 is a perspective View of theinvena tion illustrating a modified form of {coinstruction over that shown in Figs. 3 and 4 Fig. '6 is a perspective view of the inven'g tionshowing' a modified formof' construe-1 tion over that shown inFigs. 3 to 5;inclusive', and showingthe invention associated with a belt structure; p

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6, and l .slightly modified form of construction over,

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be noted that my connecter is preferably formed from a single strand of wire and includes a retractile structure that is indicated by the reference numeral 10 and which is bent or shaped. to provide spaced bars 11. These bars are spaced from each other in the form of the invention as shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusiveby means of spring coils or loops 12 which join the adjacent ends of the bars together.

The wire at one end of the retractilestructure is bent to provide a garment connecting element in the form of a clamp 13 which com prises bar members 12 and 17, while at the other end, the wire member'is bent to provide a garment connecting element in the form of a closed loop 14, the outer end of which .is reduced to form what may be termed a hook element 14:. The end bar of the retractilestructure adjacent to the clamp 13 is indicated by the reference numeral 15 and formedcon one end ofthe bar 12 and merging into the bar 15' is a lip 15 that extends beyond one side edge ofthe retractile structure and is curved away from one face thereof, and from the clamp 13, as shown. The bar 17 is formed on the opposite end of the bar12 and terminates in a curved free endto cooperate with the lip 15 to guide a portion of'a garment between the bars 12 and 17,- the'latter being crimped longitudinally and arranged in parallelism with the bar 12 for cooperation therewith toset up a' clampingaction against the garment portion as will be apparent upon inspection ofFigure 1.

In Figs 1 and 5 I have illustrated a that shown in Fig. 3. 'In Fig. 4 the bars 18 of the retractile structure are arranged in zig-zag formation as shown in the drawing. In Fig. 5'the terminals of the bars 18 are joined together by a single loop 20 instead of a double loop, such as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. p

. In Fig. 6 the invention is illustrated as serving to connect the buckle 21 to one end of a belt 22. The invention illustrated in Fig. 7 is substantiallysimilar to that illustratedin Fig. 4, with the exception that the clamp 13 isdispensed with and in lieu there-v of-this end of the wire member is bent to form a closed loop 28 with the outer end thereof formed to provide hook 23 which is adapted for hooked engagement with the cross bar 24 of the buckle 21.

In Fig. 8 the invention is illustrated as being associated with an end of a suspender or the connecting strap'of a garter, and to apply the invention for this purpose the clamp 13 is dispensed with and in lieu thereof thereis provideda closed loop 25 disposed opposite the closed connecting element or loop 14. By the use of a connecter with pecially;where the same is made of closely woven wire, as it has been found difficult to make a retractile structure of such character by reason of breakage. This results in the attempt to closely dispose the wire sections together.- .Again-when such a structure is in applied position it is "difiicult to form theretractile structure so as to permit easy extension and retraction-of the hook elements, it appearing that there is a greater resistance in the retractile structure when'the same is provided of closelybent wire, round or flat.

By providing the loop or coils 12'and 20- 'the expansion and retraction takes place at the extremities of the bar and'thes'e loops are of such design that retraction and expansion takes placewith ease, requiring very little pulling-pressure to allowthe expansion,

and yet the connecter is durable and will function with the greatest efficiency for the purpose.

The device, as is apparent, is simple in structure, and one which iseasily applied in position. 'By changing: the design or. shape of the hook or connecting elements the (16'- v vice may have universal'application for the purpose. I

The connecter as a whole may be provided with a covering of fabric or helical wire, such asis partially illustrated at 19, Fig. 8. However, for economical purposes I have found,

it more desirableto finish the connecter by a plating process. I

. While I haveillustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the'spirit of the invention. I, there-' fore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

- Having thus described invention what 1. A connecter formedfrom a single piece of resilient material, and comprising a retraetile structure, connecting elements arranged at the ends of the ,retractile structure, one of said connecting elements being provided with a bar, a crimped bar having one end connected with. the firstfmentioned bar and free at its other end, said crimped bar I claimas new and desire to protect by Letf ters Patent is:

cooperating with the first mentioned bar to set up a clamping action and a lip formed with the first mentioned bar and cooperating with the free end of the crimped bar to provide guiding means.

2. A connecter formed from a single piece of material and comprising a retractile structure, connecting elements arranged at the ends of the retractile structure, a bar formed with one end of the retractile structure and providing a part of one connecting element, a crimped bar connected at one of its ends to the first mentioned bar and cooperating therewith to set up a clamping action, said crimped bar having a free end, a curved lip formed with the first mentioned bar and cooperating with the curved free end to provide guiding means.

3. A connecter formed from a single piece of resilient material and comprising a retractile structure, connecting elements arranged at the ends of the retractile structure, a bar forming a part of one connecting element, a crimped bar connected to the first mentioned bar and cooperating therewith to set up a clamping action, said crimped bar terminating in a curved free end, a lip formed with the first mentioned bar and tractile structure, connecting elements arranged at the ends of the retractile structure, one of said connecting elements being provided with a bar a crimped bar having one end connected with the first mentioned bar and free at its other end, and said crimped bar cooperating with the first mentioned bar to set up a clamping action.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature;

BEN B. MANASTER.

cooperating with the free end to provide guiding means and said lip extending beyond one side edge of the retractile structure and the free end of the crimped bar.

4:. A connecter formed from a single piece of resilient material and comprising a retractile structure, connecting elements arranged at the ends of the retractile structure, a closed loop forming one of said connecting elements and comprising enlarged and restricted portions, a bar forming a part of the other connecting element, a crimped bar connected to the first mentioned bar and cooperating therewith to set up a clamping action, said crimped bar terminating in a curved free end, a lip formed with the first mentioned bar and cooperating with thefree end to provide guiding means.

5. A connecter formed from a single piece of resilient material and comprising a retractile structure, connecting elements arranged at the ends of the retractile structure, a closed loop forming one of said connecting elements and comprising enlarged and restricted portions, a bar forming a part of the other connecting element, a crimped bar connected to the first mentioned bar and cooperating therewith to set up a clamping action, said crimped bar terminating in a curved free end, a lip formed with the first mentioned bar and cooperating with the free end to provide guiding means and said lip extending beyond one side edge of-the retractile structure and the free end of the crimped bar for cooperation with the latter.

6. A connecter formed from a single piece of resilient material and comprising a re- 

